Posts by Sean Price6

Look, I don't know how much actual sparring experience you have under your belt, and honestly, that’s the only metric that really matters here. It doesn't matter if you've been training for ten years if you can't actually apply any of it when someone is trying to hit you back, right?

Since you're only 17, my advice is to focus your energy right now on something more technical—think Judo, Jiu-Jitsu, or BJJ—and use this time to build up a solid foundation of conditioning and technical skill.

Once you've put in a year or two of that, then you can start pivoting toward disciplines that lean more heavily into raw strength, or even hitting the weight room, just so you aren't putting too much strain on your body while you're still growing.

At the end of the day, everything depends on how serious you actually want to be about this. If you're truly fired up and ready to commit, just find a local gym and go talk to a coach; I mean, don't you think you'll get way more useful, detailed information from a pro in person than you ever will from some random guy on an internet forum?

Rebecca Smith4 said:It isn't, of course. 🙂

Maybe if you had started earlier, it actually would have been too soon...

If you're just doing this for yourself, rather than chasing a pro career, I suppose it isn't even too late at 50. 😬

When he mentioned the Ultimate Fight, I assume he was talking about going pro, 🙂

Personally, I’d argue that 17 is actually the sweet spot if you want to take things seriously but haven't picked up a martial art yet.

Just a heads-up: if you’re looking at this from a professional standpoint, you’re going to need an insane amount of willpower. You’ll start out all hyped up and ready to go, but after a few months of grueling, soul-crushing training, most people just quit—unless, of course, you can survive that initial hump, because once you get past that, it actually gets a lot easier.

Instead of jumping straight into the deep end with something like the Ultimate Fight, I’d suggest picking one specific discipline first—maybe boxing, kickboxing, Judo, or Jiu-Jitsu—and really trying to master it. Then, if you still find yourself craving that Ultimate Fight chaos after that, you can try adding another discipline into the mix.

Thanks. I'm going to reach out to them right away, and then we'll see how things actually shake out with all of this...

The real headache here is that the space I’m looking to convert isn't actually floored with hardwood or anything decent; it’s just raw concrete. And honestly, does anyone really want to deal with some thin little tatami mat or a flimsy foam pad that won't do a damn thing to absorb a fall? Not exactly ideal for training, is it? I’m weighing the option of laying down some actual flooring first, though I haven't quite made up my mind yet.

Honestly, I’m starting to get a real kick out of this whole project—trying to piece together my own personal home gym. It’s become a bit of a passion project, really, though I can't help but wonder if I'm just chasing a pipe dream at this point. If I keep going at this rate, the final bill is going to hit me like a ton of bricks; we’re easily looking at several thousand dollars, maybe even more, once everything is actually installed. Is it worth it? Who knows, but watching the budget evaporate is half the fun, right?

Ugh... so I just took a look at Kwon’s website... honestly, it would be pretty great if they actually made them :P

I did a little digging online regarding tatami mats, and this is basically the only thing I could dig up:

100X100X2, KARATE (COLOR ON REQUEST) PCS 440.00
100X100X1, KARATE (COLOR ON REQUEST) PCS 254.00
JUDO TATAMI 200X100X4, JUDO, PLAIN BASE PCS 898.00
JUDO TATAMI 200X100X4, IJF, NON-SLIP PCS 990.00
FOLDABLE COMBAT AREA TATAMI PLEAT UP m2 801.00

Now, that karate option looks a lot more budget-friendly, doesn't it? But then again, does it actually offer any real protection? I highly doubt that one or two centimeters of padding is going to do much for you when you hit the floor. On the flip side, those judo mats are somehow even more expensive than the wrestling mats :P 8m2=$1200

I guess I can only hope that Kwon’s prices are significantly lower... and by "significantly," I mean a massive difference :P

I'm thinking about carving out some space at home for a dedicated sparring area, and I’m trying to figure out where I can pick up some mats without completely draining my bank account. If you guys know of any cheap alternatives—something that won't break the bank but can actually handle a decent amount of heavy use? I really need a surface that’s going to cushion those inevitable falls.

I’ve been doing a bit of window shopping online, and the absolute cheapest mats I could find were 150x100x5cm pieces for $200. Since I’m aiming for a space that’s at least 3x3m, I’d need about six of them, which brings the total to $1200. Honestly, that's pushing my budget a little too far for comfort.

If anyone has recommendations for a shop in the greater metropolitan area or somewhere nearby in the suburbs, please let me know.

Thanks!